Bulls take 102-101 OT victory over Raptors

Deng scores game-winner on put back to clinch playoff berth as time expires

March 24, 2012|By K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune reporter

Find a way to win.

If there's any area in which the Bulls have built on their 62-victory regular season from a year ago, it's in this elusive department. They find ways to win even when they probably don't deserve to do so.

Playing again without Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton and losing the ejected Joakim Noah for the second half, the Bulls downed the Raptors 102-101 in their first overtime game this season when Luol Deng narrowly beat the buzzer with a put back of a C.J. Watson shot that James Johnson blocked.

The Bulls moved 30 games above .500 and clinched a playoff berth with the dramatic triumph. Deng finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Not surprisingly, coach Tom Thibodeau sounded afterward as if the Bulls had lost. They certainly were outplayed.

"We were very fortunate, lucky," Thibodeau said. "They outplayed us from the start, dominated us, outrebounded us by 14, played harder. We didn't play well.

"We talk about readiness to play. First quarter, 30 points with poor defensive transition, poor challenging shots, poor executing offense. It's disappointing. And this is two games in a row.

"It's everybody. It starts with me. I have to do a better job of having them ready. We're heading down the stretch and this is about building the right habits and improving. We haven't done that the last two games. We have to change that fast."

Hence, the rare Sunday practice at the Berto Center.

"We need to play better," Carlos Boozer said.

Boozer added 24 points and 10 rebounds and Watson, who carried the Bulls down the stretch of regulation, added 23 points. The Bulls were outrebounded 58-44 and shot 3-for-23 on 3-pointers.

"If the 3 isn't going, you have to drive the ball, post the ball, get some easy baskets," Thibodeau said. "We settled. You're not going to win if you don't put the work into the game. I am concerned."

Johnson hit the second of two free throws with 15.2 seconds remaining to put the Raptors ahead after official Courtney Kirkland whistled Boozer for a foul when the other officials were prepared to call a jump ball on Taj Gibson's apparently clean block on Johnson.

The Raptors also had a chance to win at the end of regulation when Andrea Bargnani's wide-open 3-pointer went in and out near the final buzzer.

Watson scored 13 of the final 15 points in regulation.

Despite having two days off between games, the Bulls came out flat, falling behind by 12 points early and surrendering 63.2 percent first-quarter shooting. Thibodeau burned two early timeouts and went to Omer Asik earlier than usual in the first.

"We stuck with it," Deng said. "C.J. did a great job of just finding a way to get a shot up so we had enough time to tip it in."